ALBANY — In a series of closed-door sessions and short, scripted public hearings, the state budget began to gel Thursday, keeping lawmakers on track to adopt a $136.5 billion spending plan before the end of next week.

Most legislators left the Capitol late Thursday as planned, but aides to top lawmakers and Gov. Andrew Cuomo intended to remain through the weekend. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said budget bills could be printed this weekend, allowing three days of public view before the first voting.

"We are hopeful," said Silver, D-Manhattan, who said his members are "on call" for the weekend, when he hoped spending bills would start to be drafted.

Cuomo said he would meet with leaders Friday in New York City. An announcement of a budget deal could come as early as then, but seems more likely on Sunday or Monday.

While many details remained guarded, lawmakers did reveal some agreements:

Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos said a minimum wage increase was still "part of the discussion," but negotiators were also looking at "different tax cuts, marking them, what they would cost."

Democrats, including Silver and Skelos' coalition partners in the Senate, the Independent Democratic Conference, have pushed for a minimum wage hike. On Thursday, demonstrators pushed lawmakers to adopt a $9 minimum wage, indexed to inflation, which passed the Assembly. The advocates targeted Cuomo, Skelos and IDC Leader Jeff Klein, D-Bronx, who has said he backs a wage hike but has not committed to the Assembly legislation.

It's still unclear whether a wage hike-tax cut package would come together, or if its exact parameters will be acceptable to advocates on both sides. Senators will meet at the Capitol at 10 a.m. Friday for a private discussion of this and other issues.

Most of a $240 million cut to services for the developmentally disabled will be restored, using a combination of state and federal funding.

Some version of Cuomo's proposal allowing municipalities and school districts to lock in pension contribution rates, providing short-term savings.

Legislation guiding the siting of new casinos will not be included in the spending plan. While legislators are separately considering an amendment to the state constitution that would allow up to seven casinos in the state, Cuomo proposed the first three would be sited in Upstate areas, subject to approval of a gaming commission he controls.

Deputy Republican Leader Tom Libous said he was skeptical such a proposal would lead to the approval of the constitutional change, which requires a popular vote.

"Just putting three upstate, I don't think, gets the votes in November that you need to pass the referendum," said Libous, R-Binghamton.

Thursday began when Klein, Silver and Skelos met with Cuomo to announce the governor had signed off on "table targets" — amounts of spending in each budget area that are detailed by bipartisan committees in the Legislature.

The committees held preliminary meetings Thursday, but likely won't meet again in public until next week, when they announce agreements. Education remains an issue, where $290 million is in play.

Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan, a Queens Democrat who is the chamber's point person for education, said wants the money to offset a $240 million penalty against New York City schools. Their funding was cut after school and union leaders failed to develop a teacher evaluation system before a January deadline. Cuomo has said the penalty should stand; Republican Sen. John Flanagan, a Long Islander who is the top Senate representative in the education negotiations, said, "Everything's going to be on the table."

School districts on Long Island and upstate are also pushing for an increase. There is no agreement on how funding will be split.

Late Thursday, Cuomo refused to reveal what legislative leaders had shared. He said talks were "inconclusive" but "proceeding on a positive track."

"It looks good today," he said. "You're either over the goal line or you're not ... we've seen a lot of teams on the three-yard line, they never get over the goal line."